How to Watch the ‘Pokemon’ World Championships

Yes, ‘Pokemon’ esports.

Today, players from more than 35 different countries are in San Francisco to compete in the 2016 Pokémon World Championships. This yearly competition puts the best and brightest trainers from around the globe head to head in tournament ladders that revolve around the trading card game, video game, and the relatively new Pokkén Tournament — with a whopping prize pool of over $500,000.

The event is set to take place over the entire weekend, starting on Friday, August 19, and going until Sunday, August 21. Unfortunately, the event is closed to the public this year due to limited venue capacity and overwhelming demand. The organizers stated that they wanted to provide the best possible experience for their competitors and their families this year like any other, and this time it meant keeping the public out.

Thankfully, the event will be streaming over on their official YouTube and Twitch pages throughout the weekend. The channels will host a mix of games from the Pokémon TCG, the video game, and Pokkén Tournament ladders over the next few days.

Nicholas is a writer and content creator in Knoxville. He frequently covers video games and other consumer electronics. When he's not writing for Inverse, you can usually find him tweeting about Star Wars or streaming on Twitch.